Harnesses for rescue and emergency applications, for example firefighting, are subject to tough conditions and temperatures. The harnesses not only have to carry comparably heavy containers comprising breathable gas of a breathing apparatus they also need to withstand heat, dirt, smoke and soot particles.
Conventional harnesses comprise two shoulder belts and a hip belt, each of the shoulder belts and hip belt attached to a structural support, which is configured to rest on a carrier's back when the harness is in use. The structural support is used to removably fix and hold a container of breathable gas. The structural support is typically made of a rigid heat resistant plastic. The harness is carried similar to a conventional backpack whereby shoulder belts and hips belts can be adjusted to the size of the carrier.
It is known to provide shoulder belts and hip belts made of a woven fabric for example Kevlar or Nomex. Such belts are at least more or less flame retardant. Such belts must be sealed at the end to prevent them from fraying. Since it is not possible to use heat to seal the ends, they are usually folded over several times and then stitched. When a harness has been in use and thus when it has been exposed to extinguishing water, heat, soot particles, smoke and other dirt, it needs to be thoroughly cleaned. However, the woven fabric of the belts makes it very difficult to get all particles, in particular smoke and soot particles out of the belts. When these particles dry in the pores of the woven belts they are later on released as dust. Such released dust may create health problems in particular when a person, for example a firefighter, is exposed to a harness on a daily basis.
Another disadvantage of woven belts is that they cannot take and stay in a predetermined shape so that is easier for the carrier to get into the harness. In an emergency situation it can be beneficial when the harness is shaped so that is easy for a person to engage in the harness or in other words so that it is easy for a carrier to put her/his arms and shoulders into the harness.
US 2011/0048421 A1 discloses a previously known carrying system for breathing apparatus. This carrying system comprises a backplate onto which an air cylinder may be mounted, a pair of shoulder straps which are attached at heir upper ends to the back plate and a waist strap attached to a lower region of the backplate.